Describing the Dances

It has come to my attention that many people are somewhat ignorant of what kinds of feelings different kinds of dances conjure up. For one reason or another, misunderstandings of the overall feel of most dance styles is quite prevalent. Among many that I am acquainted with, the sexual feel of some forms of modern club music is the reigning stereotype of dance in general. To correct this somewhat unfair generalization, I will here undertake to describe the feel of dance styles for anyone who is interested. I do not claim to be a dance scholar, but these are observations that I have found to be generally true.

Classical Dance Styles: Older dance styles, like French baroque steps and medieval court dances, are generally concerned with celebrating reason and music. They are highly structured to the rhythmic patterns of the music and are often only partially partner dances. The point is to increase the impact of the music through the visual arts.

Swing Dance: The swing dance style is a style that is characteristically flirtatious. It is a social dance style, meaning that to dance with the same partner more than twice consequentially would be considered rude. The idea is to socialize and do general, fun flirting with many people.

Ballroom Dance: Generally ballroom dance styles are more concerned with romance. They are generally much more passionate. It is also common to choose one partner to dance with, although social dancing may also occur in these settings. The point is, the ballroom dance is less about showiness and fun than swing dance and is more concerned with seriousness, passion, and the connection between the partners (although these are not as a rule absent from swing dance environments. I simply speak for the most common feelings in these environments).

Club Dancing: Essentially what I have observed of club dancing environments is that they are much more concerned with sexuality. Dancing is intended to be "sexy" in these kinds of settings. The purpose of a club is usually to attract single people that will hook up there. So the dancing undertaken here is of an explicitly sexual nature in order for individuals to attract others.

So, this is not an exhaustive list, but I think it shows a good continuum and may prompt you to reexamine dancing if you have been stereotyping it based on any of these styles. Truth is, there's something for everyone; you just have to find what's right for you.